Asia Trail Decision Stations

National Zoological ParkSmithsonian Institution

2006

Conservation involves making hard choices. In order to bring these dilemmas to life, this series of kiosks installed in the National Zoo’s new Asia Trail exhibition puts zoo visitors in the role of decision maker. Visitors are first introduced to real-world issues, such as dam construction, wildlife preserves, and road construction, and must then decide which choices they would make. Video interviews with actual stakeholders such as villagers, conservationists, and researchers allow visitors to meet the people who are impacted by their decisions. After visitors submit their choices, they are able to see how other zoo visitors voted. Zoo staff is able to monitor (and manage) the kiosk feedback through a back-end interface.

Reviews & Comments

“The team at Terra Incognita helped us take a fledgling idea and turn it into a real world-class exhibit. The designers and developers listened to our goals and, in every step of the process, exceeded our expectations.”